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‘Henry? Blimey. I’m so sorry.’
‘You knew him?’
‘Doesn’t everyone know everyone around here?’
‘Well, I don’t know you.’ Fleur frowned, wondering too late if that sounded rude.
He smiled. ‘No. We did meet when you were an infant, not that you’d recall. I did my training in Victoria but I was born here. I left for a while but I just couldn’t shift my allegiance from the Port Adelaide maggies,’ he said, as if trying to lighten the mood. ‘No Victorian team for me,’ he added.
‘Oh,’ she said, not inclined to smile.
‘Forgive me. The truth is, I returned to marry my sweetheart and make a life back here around the port. I’ve known your father since I was a lad and I’m very sorry to hear of his passing. Henry was a good man.’
‘He was. Come in,’ she said, holding the door wider.
His colleague nodded. ‘Very sorry for your loss, Miss Appleby.’
‘Thank you.’ She showed them into the small sitting room. ‘Can I offer you something?’
‘No, no. Not at all. Um, is Mrs Appleby here?’
‘No, she’s—’
‘I’m here,’ Irma said, as though she’d been waiting in the hall to make an entrance. She was pulling off her hat and coat and bustled in. ‘I’ve got nothing to hide.’
‘Really?’ Fleur said. ‘You’re all hide, Irma.’
DI Green cleared his throat. ‘Miss Appleby, we need to keep this civil right now.’
‘Yes, of course.’ Fleur was wringing her hands and caught Irma’s sneer.
‘Right, er, may we sit down?’
‘Gentlemen, please,’ Irma said, taking charge. ‘Can I offer you some tea?’
‘I’d advise you not to drink the coffee,’ Fleur said, unable to help herself.
‘Why’s that, Miss Appleby?’
‘Because she may poison you as she has my father.’
Irma gave both men a look of indulgent disappointment as though she had fully expected this sort of attack.
‘We won’t have anything, thank you,’ Green confirmed. He smiled gently at both women. ‘I’ve only just recently finished one.’
‘Then I’ll just let Nan go. She stayed with me all night as Fleur was not here.’
‘Just hold off a few more minutes, please,’ Green suggested. ‘Why don’t you tell us what you believe has occurred, Miss Appleby?’
‘I believe my stepmother, Irma Appleby, deliberately weakened my father’s health with poison over a period of time and then, to hasten him to his death, she gave him spoiled oysters last night.’ She blinked, amazing herself at how succinctly she had summarised her accusation.
Irma was shaking her head with incredulity as Fleur finished talking. ‘That is so far-fetched, Inspector Green. Henry and I were a close couple and we were happy. I can’t believe these accusations of yours, Fleur.’
‘Can you substantiate what you’re saying, Miss Appleby?’
‘I can’t show you anything because the rotten oysters we found in the garden were thrown away by our cook,’ Fleur replied. ‘But I believe Irma used them to contaminate the ones I bought for my father’s dinner last night.’
‘Mrs Appleby?’
